Education, policy and social justice: learning and skills

The author develops an important argument in this wide-ranging book, in which questions of social justice play a central role. The socio-economic and policy context of education in advanced capitalist societies is explored, and the manner in which the rhetoric of policy-makers distorts the way in which skill is marshalled in the economy. The result is that oppressive and exploitative features of paid labour are underplayed in this rhetoric. The lived experiences of teachers and students in post-compulsory education are examined and contradictory positions explored. If questions of social justice are to be addressed, an economically driven model of education should be rejected in favour of one that is politically engaged and utilizes an expansive model of practice, extending into the wider society.

Published abstract.

The author develops an important argument in this wide-ranging book, in which questions of social justice play a central role. The socio-economic and policy context of education in advanced capitalist societies is explored, and the manner in which the rhetoric of policy-makers distorts the way in which skill is marshalled in the economy. The result is that oppressive and exploitative features of paid labour are underplayed in this rhetoric. The lived experiences of teachers and students in post-compulsory education are examined and contradictory positions explored. If questions of ...  [+] Show more